Great gadget gift ideas for Father’s Day

So, with Father’s Day rapidly approaching, you might consider some great gadgets to thank dad for a job well done.

After all, what says “I love you” better than a new smartphone, laptop, or gaming monitor?

The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to break the bank — accessories for an existing smartphone would likely be appreciated by dear ‘ol dad — while the pricier gifts could perhaps be a group present from other family members instead of each buying separate gifts.

The following are a few recommended high-tech products give your dad, or husband, on Sunday, June 18.

Note: You can watch a video version of this round-up by clicking the link below!

Keys, please

BlackBerry is back with the BlackBerry KEYone ($199 on 2-year plan), an award-winning smartphone that fuses the functionality and security you’d expect from a BlackBerry with the familiarity and versatility of Android 7.1 Nougat. BlackBerry KEYone houses a comfortable physical keyboard with built-in fingerprint sensor, up to 26 hours of battery life, and unique convenience and privacy features in what is being billed as the world’s most secure Android smartphone. It also has 4.5-inch touch display to tap and swipe through more than a million apps at the Google Play store. This new device is the first in the new partnership between BlackBerry and hardware maker TCL.

Accessorize it

Dad probably goes through plenty of smartphone cables, so why not invest in a more durable one that can take a beating? The Logiix Connect Flex Steel cables are super flexible and ridiculously rugged, and backed by a 3-year warranty. They’re also long at 1.5 metres (5 feet!) and are available in one of three options: Lightning (for iOS), USB-Type C, or microUSB for older devices. These cables cost between $34 and $39, depending on which one you go with. Also from Logiix is the Piston Power Pro backup batteries ($29 to $69) that are compact and sleek-looking, yet can juice up your mobile devices, whenever and wherever. In fact, the 12,000mAh version can power up a typical smartphone about 6 times, and offers a second USB port for another gadget. An integrate smart IC chip optimizes the charging speed and power needed for the gadget.

Lap it up

If dad is in dire need of a new laptop — perhaps he calls his existing computer the “Back Breaker 3000“ — then consider the all-new Acer Swift 3 ($799), an all-metal laptop that’s thin, light, fast, and with an all-day battery (topping 10 hours between charges). Powered by a 7th Gen Intel Core processor and Windows 10, this compact laptop features a fingerprint reader, so dad can log on securely, as well as a Full HD anti-glare 14-inch screen, 256GB of durable Solid State (flash) storage, and 8GB of RAM (system memory). Ideal for work or play, the silver Acer Swift 3 also boasts multiple ports along the side, including USB, SD card, HDMI, headphone jack, Ethernet, laptop lock, and more.

Game on (and on and on)

If dad’s a gamer, then helping him upgrade is computer monitor would earn you bonus points! The Samsung Quantum Dot Gaming Monitor (model # CFG70; $549 for 24-inches) offers 100 percent of the colour spectrum for outstandingly vivid and sharp images, along with 3000:1 contrast ratio, high brightness, and a wide 178-degree viewing angle. More importantly for gamers, perhaps, is this curved monitor is the world’s first with 1-millisecond response times and 144Hz refresh rates, so your gaming sessions are fast and furious. The swivel screen means you can angle it just how you want, while multiple HDMI ports at the back of this monitor lets you connect multiple sources.

Home, smart, home

Did you ever think you could walk into a Home Depot and pick up some cool tech off the shelf? Well, you can do just that with the Wink Hub 2 ($129), a hub that connects all of dad’s smart home devices — like smart LED lighting, Wi-Fi thermostat, video cameras, motion sensors, and so on — and let him control it all with one simple, convenient app. Supporting hundreds of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, Wink Hub 2 â€“ with its smaller body and stronger wireless radio than its predecessor â€“ lets you easily program automated routines and set schedules, and works with multiple smartphones, tablets and smartwatches (including the most popular iOS and Android devices). This Home Despot exclusive also has an “auto discovery” setup mode, optional Ethernet port, and features enhanced security.

For cord-cutters

Finally, if dad is joining the many who’ve decided to cut the cord, Alt TV from Bell is a video streaming service — not unlike Netflix — that lets you watch up to 500 live and on-demand channels, on all your devices, like smartphones, tablets, laptops, or Apple TV connected to a television. Not requiring a cable subscription, receiver box or long-term contract, Bell TV starts at only $14.95/month for the basic service with 30 channels, with hundreds of specialty channels offered, too, with different optional tiers (all listed at the website). All that’s required is Bell Fibe Internet, and the free Fibe TV app downloaded from the App Store (for iOS) or Google Play (for Android devices).